YouGov poll: 66% of Germans say US tech giants have too much influence

Survey scope and headline findings

A YouGov survey conducted between 10 and 13 July 2026 on behalf of the newspaper "Welt am Sonntag" polled 2,411 people living in Germany on their attitudes toward American technology companies. The results, described as representative of Germany's resident population, showed that 66% of respondents believe companies such as Amazon, Google, Meta, Apple, SpaceX and OpenAI now wield too much influence in Germany. Only 18% of those surveyed disagreed with that assessment, while 17% said they were undecided. DIE WELT noted that these companies collectively shape the daily lives of Germans through their search engines, online marketplaces, social media platforms, smartphones and artificial intelligence services, making their reach a matter of growing public concern. The survey was commissioned by the newspaper and carried out by the polling institute YouGov, with results published on 7 August 2026.

Reasons for concern

Respondents who viewed the influence critically were asked to identify their specific concerns. The most frequently cited reason, at 63%, was the fear of Germany's growing dependence on the United States, a worry that ties corporate power to broader geopolitical anxieties. Nearly as many respondents, 59%, accused the technology companies of having built monopoly-like structures in their respective markets, limiting competition and consumer choice. A further 55% said they feared threats to data protection and personal privacy from these platforms, reflecting longstanding concerns in Germany about the handling of personal information by foreign technology firms.

Political divides

Skepticism varied sharply along party lines and was most pronounced among Green Party voters, 85% of whom said the US technology companies had too much influence. Left Party supporters followed at 77%. SPD voters registered 74% and Union (CDU/CSU) voters 72%, both above the national average of 66%.

AfD supporters were the least critical group surveyed. Fewer than half, 47%, agreed that the influence was excessive, while 34% said they did not consider it a problem. Among FDP voters, a narrow 52% majority called the influence too great, with 34% seeing no issue. The gap between the most skeptical party affiliation (Greens at 85%) and the least (AfD at 47%) spans 38 percentage points.

Demographic patterns

The concern about the power of the corporations runs through nearly all population groups, though its intensity varies considerably by age, education and political affiliation. Older respondents were particularly critical: while 60% of those aged 18 to 29 spoke of excessive influence, the figure rose to more than 70% among respondents over 60. Skepticism also increased with education level. Among respondents with a high level of education, 73% saw too much power concentrated in the tech giants, compared with 58% of those with a low education level, a gap of 15 percentage points. The survey thus found that both age and education correlate with the degree of concern expressed about the influence of US technology companies in Germany, with older and more educated respondents expressing the highest levels of skepticism.

Political response

The findings have prompted calls from German politicians for a digital tax as a potential response to the perceived overreach of the technology companies, according to DIE WELT. The survey results were published on 7 August 2026.